guardtheguardians

Thursday, September 08, 2016

Sunday, January 27, 2013

From the weddings section of Sunday's Times

I mean, I'm used to the weddings section and everything, but still this announcement raised an eyebrow or two...

Izabella Walker

John Walker

For most couples, finding each other in the great wide world
is the hardest thing.For Izabella and John
Walker, it was the easiest – they are brother and sister.

Izabella Walker, the daughter of Angelica Walker and the
late Winston Walker, was married to John “Jack” Walker, the son of the same
Angelica Walker and the late Winston Walker.Louise “Lulu” Sharpe, a childhood neighbor and friend of the bride and
groom, became a universal life minister for the day and officiated the ceremony.

The bride, 32, will be known as Izabella Walker-Walker.She works in development at Lincoln Center. Her husband, and brother, 34, is Associate
Council for the City of New York’s Office if Environmental Policy.

“Did our romance raise some eyebrows?” asks Mr Walker.“Of course.But not in our own circle of friends, and not to anyone who sees us together or
knows us.”“Yeah” adds Mrs Walker,
finishing her husband/brother’s thought as she has done since they were children. “Most
people wondered what took so long!”

Tell that to their mother.Growing up in Greenwich CT just two years apart led to some fierce
rivalries, she recalls.“They were competitive
over everything - sports, school, even memorizing the ten commandments!” It was
Izabella who learned the commandments first, the family agrees, and eventually
studied comparative religion at Reed College in Oregon.Mr Walker’s path took him to the University
of Pennsylvania, and then New York Law School.

Though they had grown up together and thought of each other
as their best friends, it wasn’t until Mr Walker was in New York in law school
that the thought of something more than simply being siblings occurred to
him.“It was shortly after the death of
our father.I was single in New York,
and navigating the treacherous terrain that is dating in the city.For someone like me, a bit of a homebody,
pretty traditional in many ways, but passionate about my work, it was hard to
find a relationship that would last.”

“He was pretty discouraged,” his friend Bradford Irving
tells.“And we were having a conversation
one night and Jack was just talking about how he’s never connected with anyone
the way he has with Izabella, never felt as comfortable, never seen so eye to
eye on so many issues.And I said, well,
what are you waiting for?”

Still, there were obstacles.Izabella, for one, wasn’t sure.“We were having drinks one night at the Back
Room when I was visiting a college roommate.We were both having problems meeting people, and Jack finally took my
hand and basically asked me out.”Though
touched by the gesture, Izabella wasn’t sure how she felt.“I mean, not only had I not thought about it,
but society has such a bias against it.Honestly, that began to motivate me more and more and finally I thought,
why not!”

After the ceremony at the Cloisters, the 300 guests had a reception
at the Bartow-Pell mansion and grounds in the Bronx.Their mother surveyed the couple dancing,
surrounded by friends and family. “It’s fairy tale, really.It’s just sad their father didn’t get to see
this.He just would have been so pleased
to see his children happy in love.”

Saturday, January 19, 2013

You can take this to the bank

In the annals of things I do so my readers don't have to, I just played a game of Sega Genesis, Joe Montana Sports Talk Football, 1993 edition, Falcons against the Forty-Niners, so we can see who will win tomorrow's game and everyone can make bank by betting on it.

Readers, go with the Falcons!

They will win handily by the unlikely score of 20 - 2!

In all, it will be a tough day for Kaepernick, and a boom day for Ryan.

Friday, October 12, 2012

What is the best sentence I've read today?

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Training Day

On a train from Williamsburg, Virginia to New York, New York, I had the following thought brought on by the man sitting opposite of me and my brother:

Is there anything more frightening than the sight of a staunchly middle-aged white man, wearing faded dungarees and an ill fitting, tucked in, button down shirt, who is just a touch too clean shaven (is that a fresh nick you see on his neck?), reading Catcher in the Rye?